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Anyone know how to preserve a plastic surface?

Brodo FagginsBrodo Faggins Registered User regular
edited July 2008 in Help / Advice Forum
My boss has a plastic clapboard (that black and white board that an assistant director will slam shut when the director yells "Action!"), and it has autographs from some of the actors, written in Sharpie. He wants to preserve it, and wants me to find some kind of spray of fixative that'll keep it permanently on there. Anyone know of anything?

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Posts

  • SushisourceSushisource Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    Frame it.

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  • KyleWPetersonKyleWPeterson Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    I mean, the Sharpie ink should stick on there by itself just fine. Is he planning on playing frisbee with it or something?

    Kyle

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  • SeldomSeldom Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    a light coat of fixative or clear coat?

    Seldom on
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  • codetrapcodetrap Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    You should research it, but perhaps a spray on latex polyurethane?

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  • darkgruedarkgrue Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    Frame it.

    Probably the best solution. You want to protect the plastic from deterioration, the Sharpie ink probably isn't the biggest issue. Get it mounted in a shadowbox by a competent framer and use archival-quality materials. "Glass" (actually, it's usually plastic) with UV coatings will protect sunlight from attacking the plastics in the clapboard. Even so, your boss will probably want to keep it out of direct sunlight. Keeping it entirely out of sunlight would be best.

    I'd think fixatives and other coatings won't help, and have a good chance of just complicating things (the coating might discolor faster/worse than the original materials. You certainly wouldn't want to use anything that wasn't water-based, since solvents for oil-based coatings will not only attack the Sharpie ink, but the plastic of the clapboard itself, leaving you with a toxic melted puddle of goo.

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  • DavaDava Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    darkgrue wrote: »
    You want to protect the plastic from deterioration, the Sharpie ink probably isn't the biggest issue. Get it mounted in a shadowbox by a competent framer and use archival-quality materials. "Glass" (actually, it's usually plastic) with UV coatings will protect sunlight from attacking the plastics in the clapboard. Even so, your boss will probably want to keep it out of direct sunlight. Keeping it entirely out of sunlight would be best.

    This.

    I used to work at a hobby shop, and we preserved autographed sports memorabilia. That's probably the first place you'd want to go. They can direct you toward a display case for your item.

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  • tsmvengytsmvengy Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    darkgrue wrote: »
    Frame it.

    Probably the best solution. You want to protect the plastic from deterioration, the Sharpie ink probably isn't the biggest issue. Get it mounted in a shadowbox by a competent framer and use archival-quality materials. "Glass" (actually, it's usually plastic) with UV coatings will protect sunlight from attacking the plastics in the clapboard. Even so, your boss will probably want to keep it out of direct sunlight. Keeping it entirely out of sunlight would be best.

    I'd think fixatives and other coatings won't help, and have a good chance of just complicating things (the coating might discolor faster/worse than the original materials. You certainly wouldn't want to use anything that wasn't water-based, since solvents for oil-based coatings will not only attack the Sharpie ink, but the plastic of the clapboard itself, leaving you with a toxic melted puddle of goo.

    Having worked in picture framing I will tell you that UV glass or plexiglass is a good idea, but it definitely WILL NOT protect it from direct sunlight.

    A picture-framing shop will be able to put something together for you that will work well.

    tsmvengy on
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